Hungaricums

Hungaricums are those noteworthy assets from Hungary, which characterise the Hungarians by their uniqueness, specialty and quality, and represent the peak performance of Hungary.

OFFICIAL HUNGARICUMS

Porcelain of Herend This Hungarian manufacturing company has specialised in luxury hand painted and gilded porcelain for generations. Founded in 1826, it is still based in the town of Herend near the city of Veszprém. For more information please visit: herend.com

Busó Festivities in Mohács The Busó March and carnival in Mohács in southern Hungary is an old tradition. People put on fleece cloaks and wooden masks and start bonfires to chase away the winter. The tradition has nowadays spread into a large festival, for which visitors travel to Mohács from all over Hungary and nearby countries. Handcrafted souvenirs and traditional food and drink await tourists during the 6 days of the event.

Traditional busó mask

Dance-House method Dance-houses (Táncházok) in Hungary means culture-clubs where cultural heritage, such as folk dancing is practiced and passed on from generation to generation.

Matyó Folk Art Folk Art from Matyó is well known for the embroideries on souvenirs and villagers' clothes. Matyó motifs are mainly flowers and birds with ornamental plants coloured in red, green, black and blue. Now it enjoys its second renaissance as young designers rediscover the possibilities of these traditional motifs in fashion and design.

Falconry Hungarian falconry is as old as the nation itself. Hungarians had very well-developed skills in hunting with falcons when they entered the Carpathian Basin in 895. Falconry is now officially part of the country's heritage.

Pottery of Mezőtúr In the village of Mezőtúr in eastern Hungary, you will find a 100-year-old tradition in every single product that the locals make. People here are very proud of their heritage, as the techniques are taught by old masters to the young apprentices, passing the knowledge from generation to generation.

Halasi LaceHalasi Csipke Lace from Halas is a 110-year-old handicraft Hungaricum. Mostly used as an exclusive decoration for rooms and halls. Even Pope John Paul II was given gifts of Halas Lace when he visited Hungary.

Mangalica Mangalica or Mangalitsa, known also as the curly-hair hog, is a breed of pig raised especially in Hungary and the Balkans, originally bred in 1833 by the Hungarian Royal Archduke Jozsef. Unlike all popular hog breeds, which are bred for their meat, the Mangalitsa is an extreme lard-type. Meat breeds efficiently produce lean meat. Lard-type breeds produce high-quality fat and very marbled, juicy and flavourful meat. Raised properly the mangalica's genes allow it to produce some of the world's best meat and fat.

Hungarian grey cattle This is an ancient beef cattle breed from Hungary. Although nowadays Hungarian grey cattle are kept mainly as tourist attractions in the Hortobágy National Park and other Hungarian national parks, these herds also serve as gene banks, due to their reported resistance to bovine diseases which affect more highly-bred cattle types.

Grey cattle

Hungarian Vizsla The most commonly-seen breed in the country, the Hungarian Vizsla (pron. Viz-shla) is also known as the Hungarian Pointer or Magyar Pointer. It is an active, energetic working dog with enormous stamina. In earlier times it was used almost exclusively by nobility in falconry and hunting, as it is a fine retriever with an excellent nose, and a good hunter/pointer for small game and birds. In the past few years this breed has become a popular work, show and companion dog. It is reliable with children and quickly adapts to family life. The Hungarian Vizsla is a sleek, muscular, medium-sized, short-haired hunting dog with a beautiful rusty-gold colour. In Hungarian "Vizsla" means alert and responsive.

Puli The Puli is an ancient breed of Hungarian sheep dog. It is medium-sized and sturdy with a unique corded coat. The Puli is a lively, cheerful little dog who is very loyal to its family. Its innate intelligence makes it easy to train but also gives it a mind of its own. Pulis came to Hungary with the first Hungarian settlers, but at the time of World War II, the breed had almost died out. A special breeding program was initiated, which ensured the survival of these unique little Hungarians.